Selection of resolutions for seamless resolution switching of multimedia content

A source encoder including a processor and a memory readable by the processor where the memory stores an encoding application that directs the processor to receive a primary video stream and encode the primary video stream into a set of alternative video streams, where the encoding application directs the processor to:

• select a primary resolution based on a given aspect ratio of the primary video stream;
• determine a set of resolutions for the set of alternative video streams for the given aspect ratio from the primary resolution, wherein:
• each resolution of the set of resolutions comprises a height, width, and sample aspect ratio;
• the height and width of each resolution of the set of resolutions is an integer number of pixels and is less than the corresponding width and height of the primary resolution;
• at least two resolutions of the set of resolutions have different sample aspect ratios;
• and
• each resolution of the set of resolutions results in the given aspect ratio;
• and
• encode a set of alternative video streams from the primary video stream, where each of the alternative video streams is encoded at a different resolution from the set of resolutions and a different bitrate from other video streams in the set of alternative video streams;
• and
• generate an index file, where the index file includes a description of each of the set of alternative video streams, where the description for each alternative video stream comprises the height, the width, the bitrate, and the sample aspect ratio of the resolution at which the alternative stream is encoded.